At the beginning of the year, it’s likely you will discuss with your company directors what your marketing budget and strategy will be for the year. There are of course a number of different ways to advertise your business from print ads to internet marketing, but a traditional form of advertising that can be put straight in front of your target market is doing exhibitions and events.
Regardless of which market you operate in, there will be an exhibition that is perfect for you; so whether you work in the hotel industry or the engineering trade, spend some time identifying the right event for you. Once you have chosen which event you would like to exhibit at, there are a number of considerations to make so your experience runs smoothly. Here are a few tips for your next exhibition…
Be professional
It’s commonly regarded that people buy from people, so make sure that the people that you have on your exhibition stand are professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Looking for event staff? You can employ people outside of your organisation if your staff members simply don’t have the time or skills to show off your product or service in the best light. In terms of staff on your exhibition stand, it’s worth getting them all a uniform and name badge to make them easily identifiable and easier to approach for attendees.
Catch peoples’ attention
You’ll want people to actually come to your exhibition stand first though so make sure it catches their attention. Many exhibitions permit you to buy “space only” instead of a shell scheme, which basically means you get allocated floor space but then it’s up to you to build your own stand. Luckily there are many exhibition stand contractors who specialise in custom-built stands; these can cost a bit more but it could be worth it if you attract more visitors to your stand which eventually could lead to a higher number of sales.
Provide marketing collateral
Once you’ve attracted people to your exhibition stand and you’ve spoken to them, make sure you leave them with something to remember you by. When you consider that exhibition attendees will speak to many businesses throughout the day, they may not remember each and every exhibitor to exact details. This is why you should offer some marketing collateral and branded giveaways on your stand so people can take something back to the office, or home, with them. This may be in the form of a brochure, a business card or a simple A5 flyer. Whatever you get done, it’s advisable to have it professionally designed and printed to give the most professional appearance.
Share your knowledge
Finally, check ahead of time whether the exhibition will have any seminar sessions. You could negotiate a speaking slot in your stand space package, giving you an audience in which you can share your knowledge. It’s a time for education and not direct sales, so make sure you keep content about important industry research. Of course you can let the audience know where they can find you in the exhibition hall to speak to you further.
About the author
Danielle Edwards is a marketing manager at a Newcastle based hotel. When she was first looking for event staff she took to the internet to find a suitable and professional company. She now runs exhibitions for her company with ease.
